


belvedere

by Murf1307



Series: 2018 V-Day Fic Blast #2: Everything Else [2]
Category: Deadly Genesis, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Castles, Central Park, F/M, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 07:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13699626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murf1307/pseuds/Murf1307
Summary: Lola has always wanted a fairy-tale love story.  So, when confessing his feelings, Armando tries to give that to her.





	belvedere

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the same universe, roughly, as "bacon & banter."

Armando’s had a crush on Lola for the longest time, now.  Even before she started transitioning; he was taken in especially by the golden glow of her eyes.  Somehow, despite her having no discernable iris or pupils, he can always tell when she's looking at him, and he likes the attention when she does.

He knows  _ she  _ likes attention, too.  Even when she pretends she doesn't.  He can read her pretty well by now, he thinks.

And this is why she deserves this.  

They're on a trip to New York from Scotland, because Moira needs to have it out with Professor X over something.  Armando knows there’s a castle in the middle of Central Park.

It's the  _ perfect  _ place, he thinks, to tell Lola how he feels about her.

God knows it's been long enough — they've known each other for nearly a decade now.  Pretty soon, they're gonna hit  _ thirty. _

Petra and Suzanne can't get legally married yet, but they had a symbolic wedding three years ago.  If Armando wants to really be  _ with  _ Lola, he's got to get his goddamn act together.

The Belvedere Castle just finished renovations this year, so the timing probably couldn't be better.  Things are good, all around.  Lola found out she was Lola  _ Summers _ , and they've worked with the X-Men a few times.  Lola’s actually made a bit of a name for herself as a hero.

Armando has to do this, and do it now.  There will be no better time.

He leans over the back of her seat on the private plane they're taking.  “Hey, Lo?”

“Yeah?” she asks, tilting her head up at him.  God, her eyes are even more beautiful up close.  

They've always been, but it bears repeating.

“You wanna head down to Central Park when we get to New York?” He figures she will; she likes sightseeing.

“Sure,” she says.  “Just for a walk?”

“Yeah.  Might be fun, you know?”  He gives her his most guileless smile.

She sees right through it, he can tell, but she plays along anyway with a smirk of her own.  “Yeah, probably.  Supposedly, the food trucks are good.”

He just smiles down at her, and shrugs.

 

* * *

 

“So, what are you trying to sneakily walk us to?” she asks, grinning at him, about fifteen minutes from the edge of the park.

He laughs.  “So you figured me out, huh?”

“Just enough to know you've got some kind of plan for all of this.” At least she seems amused by the whole thing, which is good.

“Well, I do have a plan, but it's supposed to be a surprise.”

She laughs, now.  “Should I be worried?”

“Nah, it's a good surprise.”  He puts his arm around her shoulders.  “Don't you trust me?” he asks, mock-wounded.

She laughs again, and leans into his touch.  “Yeah, ‘Mando, I do.”

That, more than anything, warms his soul.

 

* * *

 

Her eyes widen almost comically when she sees the castle.

“That’s — holy  _ shit _ !”  She looks between the castle and Armando.  “How did you know about this place?”

He laughs.  “Heard someone talking about it last time we were in New York, so I did a little research.  They just renovated it, it was really run-down for a while.”

She grabs his hand and drags him toward the door.  “Can we —?”

“Yeah, it’s open to the public.”  He curves his hand around hers, his stomach swooping just a little.  

She grins at him, and then pulls him inside.  Finding the staircase quickly, she makes for the top of the parapet, still pulling him along with her.  He can’t stop smiling as she leads him up to the top of the tower.  

It opens up to a balcony, and for now, they’re alone up here.  She finally lets go of his hand and moves to the edge, looking out over the park.

He joins her, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.  “You like it?”

“I  _ love _ it.”  She looks at him.  “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he says, smiling back at her.  “I thought you’d like it.”

She smiles a little wider.  “You’re pretty good at knowing what I like.”  She looks out across the park.  

“There is one thing I’m not sure about, though,” he says, and he’s pretty sure that’s a smooth shift of the subject.  “So I thought I oughtta say something about it.”

“Oh?” She turns back to him.

“Yeah.” He takes a deep breath.  “I really, really like you, Lola.  Not just as a friend.”

Her jaw drops, just a little, and she blinks.  “Really?  You — you really…?”

He nods.  “Is that okay with you?”

“I love you,” she says, quickly, and then flushes, as though she hadn’t meant to say that.  “Um, so, yeah.  It’s totally cool.”

He laughs, just a little.  “Cool.  You wanna date?”

“Yeah,” she says, and leans in a little closer to him.  “I’d love to.”

“Awesome.”  He reaches up and cups her cheek in his hand.  “And, by the way?  I love you too.”

The smile she gives him then is breathtaking.


End file.
